Lara and the others arrived at the inn after buying a lot of supplies. The money they had was enough to buy some equipment that fit their budget.

If it wasn't enough, they planned to hunt monsters in the forest, just like Ethan did earlier that morning.

They came to Ethan's room and knocked on the door. Ethan invited all four of them to come in since he had asked them to gather so he could help give advice on improving their attributes.

Starting from Lara to Celica, everyone got their turn to be guided by Ethan.

Some of them saw a significant increase in their base ATK, especially Nuwa and Celica.

Ethan focused on AGI for both of them so that their attacks would later increase their critical rate — something important for Assassins and Archers.

For Luca, Ethan focused on INT and WIS. Those two stats were ideal for someone whose base class was Priest or Mage.

Lastly was Lara. Since she wanted to be a swordsman rather than a tank, Ethan suggested she focus on STR and AGI.

All four of them received Ethan's best advice. He also explained the important elemental affinities for each class.

Assassins and Archers were usually connected to wind or earth, Mages and Priests to water or light, and Warriors to fire or earth.

"Knowing which element fits your class will make it easier for you to find the right crystal spirit," Ethan explained.

"There are a lot of Crystal Spirits in the market, either with or without buffs. As for buffs, you all know what you need best," he added.

"Of course, Ethan."

"So, what about equipment? Weapons? Pets? Soul servants?" Lara asked.

Ethan explained again that they could get Equipment and Weapons in the event city.

However, for pets and soul servants, they had to do that outside the event —unless they got a full soul servant card that could be deployed instantly, which was another story.

"I guess we wouldn't get tips like this from Luscho," Lara joked.

"Haha! True. Does that mean Ethan should be the guild leader of Sword Liberation instead?"

The women burst out laughing at the thought of Ethan replacing Luscho. Ethan only smiled at their reaction —he had no interest in becoming the leader of Sword Liberation.

"So, what should we do now?" Luca asked.

"You can start testing your strength against monsters in the forest. They're not as aggressive during the day, so you'll be fine."

"Alright. What about you?" Lara asked.

"I'm still tired from this morning. I think I'll rest today," Ethan replied.

Lara nodded, understanding how exhausted he must be. She let him rest and promised that she and the others would gather more Star Essence today.

Ethan agreed and reminded them to be careful. He would monitor their situation through his digital map.

After a while, Lara and the others said goodbye and left. They walked together, heading north toward the forest.

Meanwhile, Ethan was still lying on his bed, watching through his digital map as Lara and the others moved outside the city.

Alright. They're gone. Time to hunt for weapons!

Ethan got up, pulled his black cloak from the hanger, and put it on.

He took out a white mask from his inventory and placed it over his face.

Even though the mask covered his face, it didn't make it hard for him to breathe.

It was strange —the game system didn't simulate the usual mask sensations like foggy breath, tightness, or heat. Ethan didn't feel any of that.

But that didn't matter. His main goal was to chase other players and take their weapons.

Previously, he had only asked for their Star Essence, but this time it was different.

Let Lara and the others collect Star Essence. I'll focus on getting weapons and money.

Ethan stepped out of the inn and entered a narrow alley. He jumped high and landed on the roof of a nearby house.

To move unnoticed, he ran across rooftops, leaping from one house to another.

Fortunately, the Silent Step buff from the Crater Mist Mask kept his movements quiet, so players below didn't hear him.

They were all too busy with their own business anyway.

About ten minutes later, Ethan stood tall on a rooftop at the city's edge, just before the border.

There, he could see many guild teams heading into the forest with their best equipment. Their goal was the same —to hunt Star Essence.

Even though there were many of them, Ethan couldn't tell their guild ranks.

Were they from low-ranked guilds? Mid-ranked? Or even major guilds like Silver Star? There was no clear indicator to tell.

But one thing he knew —players from mid to high guilds usually carried rare or epic-grade equipment and weapons.

For example, guilds like Destroyer and Silver Star —if Ethan could take their weapons, that would be a huge gain.

Since he didn't know for sure, he had no choice but to attack them randomly and rely on luck.

Alright. I'll start with the ones heading southeast.

"Stop!"

Just as Ethan was about to move, a woman's voice called out behind him, making him stop mid-step.

Curious, Ethan turned around and saw three people standing on a rooftop just like him.

They wore blue-and-white uniforms with the abbreviation LARK on them. Ethan's eyes widened in shock —they were LionArk members.

"Lion… Ark?"

It was his first time seeing LionArk members inside the Thousand Star Event —the same guild uniform he once proudly wore, now being displayed by others.

"That's right! We're LionArk."

"You, sir, need to come with me," the woman said.

"How many teams did Ashley send?" Ethan asked.

"Only one. We're short on resources. Why do you ask?" she replied.

"I see… makes sense, since you're a B-rank guild."

"You?!" the woman snapped. "Even if we dropped in rank, we're still respected by other players. LionArk is a guild with a proud history in the Tower of Ascension!"

I need people like her in LionArk — loyal and brave. You chose your team well, Ashley.

Ethan went silent. The white mask covered his entire face, hiding every emotion —sadness, pride, or even anger.

He looked up at the sky. If the Thousand Star Event worked like the Essence Cave Event, then every guild leader could see their team's status in real-time.

Ethan was sure Ashley was watching him right now. This event was the only way for LionArk to raise their contribution points.

If they failed, it would all be over —they'd stay stuck as a B-rank guild for a long time.

"Sir?!" the woman called again.

"What are you planning to do to me?"

Although Ethan formed LionArk, they were now led by Ashley, who might think Ethan was dead.

There was no way the people in front of him knew what EthanAsh666 really looked like, since Ethan had always used a character template, not his real face.

"We need to make sure of something," the woman answered.

That sounded suspicious— they came across tense … What do they actually want?

"What do you need to confirm?" Ethan asked, firm.

"Do you want to do it here? They can hear you, you know."

Ethan looked around; a few players were watching the argument between him and the three LionArk members.

If more people gathered, it would be dangerous for Ethan.

"Let's talk in the forest."

The woman smiled and nodded. "Sure."

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